In our sector, we're dealing with lots of FinDocs and routine FinDoc activities. So all these things are managed locally, with data coming from some secondary source. By that, I mean our in-house technicians provide a data service that is locally developed on our end, and we analyze data in Microsoft Power BI. We have about 10 to 12 users working with it.
MIS Specialist at a agriculture with 201-500 employees
It's easy to conduct analysis but needs more work to make it stable
Pros and Cons
- "Microsoft BI is better than most solutions we have. It's pretty easy to conduct analysis with it."
- "Microsoft needs to do some more research and development to make it more stable."
What is our primary use case?
What is most valuable?
Microsoft BI is better than most solutions we have. It's pretty easy to conduct analysis with it.
What needs improvement?
Microsoft needs to do some more research and development to make it more stable.
For how long have I used the solution?
We've been using Microsoft BI for about six months.
Buyer's Guide
Microsoft Power BI
February 2025

Learn what your peers think about Microsoft Power BI. Get advice and tips from experienced pros sharing their opinions. Updated: February 2025.
837,501 professionals have used our research since 2012.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
I think Microsoft BI is scalable.
How are customer service and support?
We have some technical partners from Microsoft, so we contact them for any issues.
How was the initial setup?
Installing Microsoft BI is fast and easy. We just downloaded it from Microsoft. That's it. It only takes about half an hour. It takes a little longer for the overall deployment, depending on the data volume. If we're getting the data from a secondary source, it depends upon both the source and volume. The greater the volume, the greater the time. Usually, we can manage to get it done in one or two hours plus the testing. It takes around four people to deploy and manage the solution.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
We haven't thought much about licensing because we're still dealing with some administrative hang-ups. Once all these things are resolved, then we go for the license. It is in process.
What other advice do I have?
I rate Microsoft BI six out of 10. I would recommend it.
Which deployment model are you using for this solution?
On-premises
Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.

Analyst Operations with 1-10 employees
Displays information well, simple to install, and low maintenance
Pros and Cons
- "In the process of using data there is the Extract, Transform and Load (ETL). For extracting we are using another software, for transforming we are using our own coding in C#, and then we use Microsoft BI for loading the information. Microsoft BI displays information very well."
- "The solution could improve the extraction and transformation of data. For example, you transform the data and then send it to Microsoft BI without having to use your own API. We are only providing the API to Power BI, and then Power BI is doing the job."
What is our primary use case?
We were using Microsoft BI but it could not do what we wanted it to do. Then we moved to an open-source platform, which was Apache Tika, Kafka, and third solution. We ended up moving back to Power BI only to display the information because displaying information with Power BI is better than open-source software. We are not using all aspects of the solution at the moment.
What is most valuable?
In the process of using data there is the Extract, Transform and Load (ETL). For extracting we are using another software, for transforming we are using our own coding in C#, and then we use Microsoft BI for loading the information. Microsoft BI displays information very well.
What needs improvement?
The solution could improve the extraction and transformation of data. For example, you transform the data and then send it to Microsoft BI without having to use your own API. We are only providing the API to Power BI, and then Power BI is doing the job.
In an upcoming release, Microsoft BI should increase the functionality of the solution.
For how long have I used the solution?
I have been using Microsoft BI for approximately six years.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
We were satisfied with the stability of Microsoft BI.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
We have 30 users using the solution in my organization.
How are customer service and support?
We are in contact with the support of Microsoft but I have not been in contact directly.
Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?
I have used other solutions, such as Apache Tika and Kafka.
How was the initial setup?
The initial setup was straightforward.
What about the implementation team?
The solution only needs one person to do the maintenance.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
There are a few options available for purchasing a license. Typically the number of users you have will determine the price of the license. The more users you have the more you will pay.
What other advice do I have?
The solution has had a lot of changes over the years and it is very good. However, there is more work to be done on extract and transform functions for it to be done properly.
I rate Microsoft BI an eight out of ten.
Which deployment model are you using for this solution?
On-premises
Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
Buyer's Guide
Microsoft Power BI
February 2025

Learn what your peers think about Microsoft Power BI. Get advice and tips from experienced pros sharing their opinions. Updated: February 2025.
837,501 professionals have used our research since 2012.
Business Analyst at a non-tech company with 10,001+ employees
An easy and flexible BI solution, but the dashboard could be better
Pros and Cons
- "The Microsoft Power BI app is very good. It's also very flexible."
- "The dashboard could be simplified."
What is our primary use case?
We use it mainly for Qlik Sense. We're using business interests analytics. Everyone from marketing to sales uses it. Microsoft BI is usually used for oversight.
What is most valuable?
Microsoft BI is easy and but not very user-friendly. But you can directly connect it to an Excel file. You can find out how many sites to look at and do it yourself directly. The Microsoft Power BI app is very good. It's also very flexible.
What needs improvement?
The dashboard could be simplified. The service is currently good, but it could be better. If you compare it to Tableau and Qlik Sense, they are doing much better work. The ability of their dashboards is much better. The technical part is easy in Qlik Sense, where we can do some coding. It isn't easy in Power-BI.
Microsoft BI can be more user-friendly. Scalability is also a challenge for us because it's difficult to handle Power BI's dashboard.
For how long have I used the solution?
I have been using Microsoft BI for the last four years.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
Microsoft BI is a stable solution. We haven't had any issues yet.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
It's not very scalable because it's difficult to manage the Microsoft BI dashboard.
How are customer service and technical support?
Technical support is good.
How was the initial setup?
The initial setup is very easy.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
Their price is good.
What other advice do I have?
I would recommend this product to potential users. But if they have options, I would recommend one of the others.
On a scale from one to ten, I would give Microsoft BI a six.
Which deployment model are you using for this solution?
Public Cloud
Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
Engineer at Jade Global
The Microsoft tech support blog is very helpful.
Pros and Cons
- "Tech support is very helpful."
- "We did have some issues building the Microsoft blog."
What is our primary use case?
The primary use case for this solution is mirroring it to the dock so we can match up different parts of Office like Excel, Word, etc. and then we can clear it.
How has it helped my organization?
Microsoft always believes in adding different features. We did have some issues building the Microsoft blog.
What needs improvement?
We were having trouble working with the icons.
For how long have I used the solution?
Less than one year.
How is customer service and technical support?
The Microsoft tech support blog was very helpful to me. But, it supports the non-BI people also.
How was the initial setup?
I was not involved with implementation of the product.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
I do not have a comment on the pricing of the solution.
Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
Business Intelligence Architect at a tech services company
Data integration enabled my organization to easily pool data from our varied system into one data warehouse.
Pros and Cons
- "Data integration enabled my organization to easily pool data from our varied system into one data warehouse."
- "SSMS & SSRS."
What is most valuable?
Power Query, Power Pivot, Power View & SQL Server Data Tools comprising of (SSIS, SSAS, SSRS).
How has it helped my organization?
Data integration enabled my organization to easily pool data from our varied system into one data warehouse.
SSRS improved our report delivery timings and the Power BI feature empowered the data users.
Power View improved the visualization of our reporting and dashboards.
What needs improvement?
SSMS & SSRS.
For how long have I used the solution?
For over five years.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
Yes.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
Yes, SSRS reporting portal cannot run on tablets, iPads and all other mobile devices. But SQL 2016 has been shipped with this capability.
How are customer service and technical support?
Microsoft has a lot of products, hence some products are given little attention and VS is one of them, so I would say their technical support for the BI suite is average.
Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?
No.
How was the initial setup?
The initial setup was fairly simple and straight forward, I must say.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
To others, I would advise that Microsoft BI products are rightly priced and the licensing is easy to follow and to fulfill.
Which other solutions did I evaluate?
Yes, Tableau.
What other advice do I have?
For users intending to use the product in exclusively Microsoft environment, this product will meet most of your requirement if not all.
If there is a need for integration with other vendors’ products precautionary measures must be taken.
SQL 2016 is bringing and offering that support for mobile BI, so it would be great to give it a try.
If you are comfortable with MS Excel spreadsheets, then Power BI is your thing as it has the same look and feel of Excel, actually, it is embedded in Excel.
Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
Founder at a tech consulting company with 11-50 employees
SQL Server 2016 delivers built-in mobile BI capabilities.
Valuable Features:
Microsoft SQL Server Report Publisher
Microsoft SQL Server Report Builder
Microsoft SQL Server Reporting Services (Web Portal)
SQL Server 2016 delivers built-in mobile BI capabilities. The above tools give professionals the ability to deliver business insights quickly and easily as well as enabling a quick way of presenting the data/charts/reports over a web portal. The portal is compatible for cross platform, from desktops to major mobile devices.
Overall a great way of delivering your insights to your data.
Improvements to My Organization:
Works with data, systems and tools we already have. They are "additional" tools rather than complete replacement software. Easy to upgrade / install. The new SSRS tools in particular give us an easier way to share insights and reports to our clients and within our own teams. Security is easily managed within SharePoint.
Room for Improvement:
License fee structure. Mobile reporting Services is only available for the "Enterprise" addition of SQL Server 2016. This comes with a hefty price tag. Would be better if you could pick and choose the features you require and then the price tag is set accordingly. Rather than paying for the full Enterprise addition and getting a lot of features we do not need/use.
Use of Solution:
We have been using Microsoft's extensive software library for years. But at the time of writing this review, SQL Server 2016 Enterprise is pretty brand new. We knew of the latest reporting services offering and were eager to trial it.
Deployment Issues:
Deployment isn't rocket science, but it isn't child's play either. There were a fair few standard issues getting everything to talk to each other. Nothing to worry about though. Microsoft has worked well to make sure the latest SSRS is an "add-on" feature that integrates seamlessly.
Initial Setup:
Straightforward easy setup. Typical Microsoft software (familiar).
Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
Associate Director BI-EPM at a tech services company with 51-200 employees
Affordably priced, user-friendly, and simple to install
Pros and Cons
- "There is also a chart store where we can download charts, which is extremely useful."
- "The default parameters of the prompt could be improved by including a dynamic option."
What is our primary use case?
We get our reports from, NetSuite, and we prepare resource forecast and finance dashboard reports in Microsoft BI.
What is most valuable?
The most valuable feature is the ease of use. It is very easy to use.
It is very user-friendly.
There is also a chart store where we can download charts, which is extremely useful.
I don't believe it needs additional features. It appears to be adequate for the reporting tool. It appears to be fine.
What needs improvement?
The default parameters of the prompt could be improved by including a dynamic option. We are unable to select any default parameters or it is not dynamic, so we must manually select that prompt value. For instance, there is a year prompt, and if it needs to be changed, someone will have to open Microsoft BI in edit mode to update it. If you have a dynamic option, it makes things a lot easier.
For how long have I used the solution?
I have been using Microsoft BI for three years.
I work with the most recent update.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
Microsoft BI is a stable solution.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
We have not tried to scale this solution.
In our company, we have ten users.
We use this solution on a daily basis.
How are customer service and support?
We have not contacted technical support.
How was the initial setup?
The initial setup is very simple. It only takes five minutes to deploy.
Other than refreshing the dataset, it does not require any maintenance.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
Microsoft BI is not expensive. It is affordable.
There are no additional costs.
What other advice do I have?
If they are looking for a reporting tool that is easy to use and expandable in terms of charts, or new charts, they should use Microsoft BI, because there are many charts on the market that they can download and use very easily.
I would Microsft BI a nine out of ten.
Which deployment model are you using for this solution?
Public Cloud
If public cloud, private cloud, or hybrid cloud, which cloud provider do you use?
Disclosure: My company has a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer: Partner
User-friendly, feature-rich, and easy to implement but there is no column-level security
Pros and Cons
- "This product has a lot of features and most of them are user-friendly."
- "There is no column-level security in Microsoft BI, and this is a feature that most of our customers are looking for. That is something that should be implemented."
What is our primary use case?
We are a solution provider and Microsoft BI is one of the products that we implement for our customers.
What is most valuable?
Microsoft BI is easy to implement, as it is a web-based product that doesn't need to be installed.
This product has a lot of features and most of them are user-friendly.
The visualizations are pretty easy to create. In fact, if you want to create anything new, it is pretty easy to do.
The reporting capability is good.
What needs improvement?
There is no column-level security in Microsoft BI, and this is a feature that most of our customers are looking for. That is something that should be implemented.
For how long have I used the solution?
I have been working with Microsoft BI for between six and seven years.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
This is a stable product.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
Microsoft BI is scalable.
Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?
We also use Oracle BI.
How was the initial setup?
The implementation process is pretty easy.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
Both cost-wise and implementation-wise, this product is a good choice.
What other advice do I have?
This product is good in terms of cost, it is pretty easy to implement, and I can recommend it for those features and the reporting.
Overall, the product is good but there are a few limitations.
I would rate this solution a seven out of ten.
Which deployment model are you using for this solution?
Public Cloud
Disclosure: My company has a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer: implementer

Buyer's Guide
Download our free Microsoft Power BI Report and get advice and tips from experienced pros
sharing their opinions.
Updated: February 2025
Popular Comparisons
Teradata
Amazon QuickSight
IBM Cognos
SAP Analytics Cloud
SAP BusinessObjects Business Intelligence Platform
Oracle OBIEE
MicroStrategy
Oracle Analytics Cloud
Salesforce Einstein Analytics
TIBCO Spotfire
ThoughtSpot
Buyer's Guide
Download our free Microsoft Power BI Report and get advice and tips from experienced pros
sharing their opinions.
Quick Links
Learn More: Questions:
- BI Reports for business users - which BI solutions should we choose?
- Business users moving from Tableau to MS Report builder
- Is Power BI a complete platform or only a visualization tool?
- What are the key advantages of OBIEE compared to Microsoft BI?
- What Is The Biggest Difference Between Microsoft BI and Oracle OBIEE?
- Is Microsoft Power BI good for an ETL process?
- How would you decide between Microsoft Power BI and TIBCO Spotfire?
- Is it easy to extract data from Oracle Fusion into Power BI?
- PowerBI or SyncFusion - which is better?
- What challenges to expect when migrating multiple dashboards from TIBCO Spotfire to Microsoft Power BI?